The Brest Bretagne Nautisme watersports district is on the Western tip of Brittany, which is just to the East of Brest itself. The Autumnal weather offers low 20s falling to the mid-teens, with a chance of rain later on in the week. Today, no wind was on offer, and accordingly, no racing was completed.

Australia’s iQFOiL Coach, Arthur Brett stated after a frustrating first day, “The AP over A has just been displayed, and we are on our way back to the accommodation. The forecast for tomorrow is 14-16 knots, so the racing should get underway. It is scheduled as the last day of qualifying before Gold, Silver and Bronze fleets. We have an Aussie contingent of three males and two females competing.”

The team comprises of Grae Morris, Caelin Winchcombe and Jack Marquardt in the men’s fleets, and Sammie Costin and Amelia Quinlan in the women’s divisions. The young squad will be keen to harness their experiences from the European Championships which many of them attended on Italy’s Lake Garda back in May.

Grae Morris at the European Championships CREDIT Moan Photos

“There are three disciplines within the racing; being Slalom, Marathon, and the more standard Course racing,” stated Brett. “Each of them carries substantial points, and there is a high emphasis on being accurate at starting, given the speeds of 20 knots or higher.

“There is a final medal race shootout on the final day, which is held for the top ten from the accumulated scores over the three disciplines. The action is compelling to watch. Small chances that are taken and executed well are rewarded handsomely on the scoreboard.”

A maximum of 20 races for the Opening Series is scheduled, and up to eight can be carried out each day, with up to six of these being course races. The Qualifying Series will be made up of no more than 10 races, with a minimum of four to be completed. The Final Series requires a minimum of two races to be completed before progressing to the Medal Series.

The Australian Sailing Team’s High Performance Director Iain Brambell said, “It’s been a year of continual development and refinement within the Australian iQFOiL squad. Author Brett has been working closely with the squad, instilling a strong foundation of skills and experiences, while seeking as many competitive opportunities as possible to grow.

“I’m excited to watch these learnings and hard work put into action throughout the World Championships.”

Racing is from October 17, and concludes on Saturday, October 22, 2022.

Visit the event website for full results.

Australian Sailing Squad (ASS), Australian Sailing Futures (ASF) and other Australian entries at the 2022 iQFOiL World Championships: 

iQFOiL Mens – 182 Entries

Grae Morris (ASS)
Caelin Winchcombe (ASS)
Jack Marquardt (ASF)

iQFOiL Womens – 105 entries

Samantha Costin (ASF)
Amelia Quinlan (NSWIS)

By John Curnow